Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Photo shows explosion in Tehran following recent Israeli attack on Iran.
Such posts can be seen here, and here.
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Fact
A Google lens search on the viral image led us to a report by Al Jazeera Mubasher, dated June 2, 2021, titled “A major fire broke out in an oil refinery south of Tehran.” Carrying the same photo, it stated “A major fire broke out at the Tondgooyan oil refinery south of the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Wednesday, and no casualties have been reported so far. (translated from Arabic via Google)”
Notably, the image was credited to AFP
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We then looked up keywords “Iran,” “Oil refinery,” and “fire” on the AFP forum website, and were able to spot the same photo that has been shared to show the recent Israeli attack on Iran. “A picture taken on June 2, 2021, shows smoke billowing from the site of a refinery fire in the Iranian capital Tehran. A fierce blaze broke out at a refinery in southern Tehran after a liquefied gas line leaked and exploded, the head of the capital’s crisis team said on state television,” it’s description stated.
The photo was also listed on Getty Images with the same caption.
A Reuters report on the incident stated, “Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said all operations had been suspended at the facility, known as the Tondguyan refinery, as firefighters tried to contain the blaze.” “A leak at a liquid gas pipeline at the facility sparked the fire,” Mansour Darajati, the head of Tehran’s crisis management organisation was quoted as saying.
Also Read: Also Read: Mallikarjun Kharge Shunted Out Of Room As Priyanka Gandhi Files Nomination? Here’s The Truth Behind Viral Video
Thus we find that a 2021 photo showing a fire in an oil refinery in Tehran due to a leak at a liquid gas pipeline has been falsely linked to the recent Israeli attack on Iran.
Result: False
Sources
Report By Al Jazeera Mubasher, Dated June 2, 2021
AFP Website
Getty Images Website
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
